Lake Forest horse-betting restaurant plan still in the gate

Developers Bruce T. Lehman, left, and Brad McKinzie are two of six partners planning to transform the former Black Angus restaurant in Lake Forest into a high-end restaurant and sports bar with satellite horse race betting. The site is near the I-5 Freeway and Lake Forest Drive.EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

LAKE FOREST – Six guys from South County who bought a former Black Angus site just off the I-5 hope it will be the place to be during next year's Kentucky Derby.

They envision a room filled with ladies in hats, an upscale restaurant and a betting scene where patrons can gamble on the ponies while watching the races on big screens.

"We want to build a fun, vibrant, classy place where horse racing becomes a social activity," said Brad McKinzie, one of the six partners hopeful that the city's Planning Commission lets them open Sammy's, a fine-dining restaurant with mini-satellite horse wagering. "Having it open for the Kentucky Derby – now, that would be fun!"

City officials aren't so sure they'll bet on the idea just yet, however.

McKinzie, a 25-year executive at the Los Alamitos Race Course, and his longtime friend Bruce Lehmen, a real estate developer, say the Lake Forest location is the perfect spot for a vision they've been crafting with their golfing buddies for three years.

But while the six call it perfect, city planners haven't given the OK to spring open the race gates. The Planning Commission reviewed the project two weeks ago and had some concerns. They questioned how well an adult-use business fits into the family-minded Lake Forest vibe. They also wanted to know more about plans for the exterior and changes to the parking lot. McKinzie and Lehman, who with their partners bought the 10,000-square-foot building in 2009, want it to operate as a trendy restaurant with a mini-satellite horse-wagering lounge as an extra.

Planning Commissioners are interested to hear more about the proposed $1 million remodel of a building near the city's gateway. The developer proposal calls for a renovation inside and out, including new landscaping and an upgrade to the weed-overgrown parking lot.

Jerry Verplancke, commission chair, said that while the applicants had hoped for an immediate decision, commissioners are still considering many factors related to the gaming lounge – among them, a proposal to require that guests be 21 or older. Since Sammy's is being billed as a high-end American cuisine restaurant, commissioners asked the applicant to rethink how it might become a family-oriented place in addition to being a wagering lounge.

Commissioners will also consider how the zoning code affects combining gaming and dining. Security concerns will also be taken seriously, Verplancke said. The commissioners will also balance the city's family-oriented theme with a request for an adult-oriented business.

In past years two adult clubs at the city's entrances – Captain Cream (also known as Captain's Cabaret) at Lake Forest Drive and Rockfield Boulevard and the Library Gentleman's Club at El Toro Boulevard and Rockfield – shut down. A Hooters restaurant that opened three years ago in the former Library building also recently closed.

In turn, city officials have focused their efforts on reinvigorating old shopping centers, spending more than $800,000 renovating 10 city parks and building a state-of-art $39 million sports park The city is also continuing to focus on the community recreation center and completing a final gap closure on Rancho Parkway. In the next few years, developers are expected to have built more than 4,000 homes in the city.

"Our job is to look at the code and decide, is it prudent to have this here?" he said.

The commission plans to revisit the Sammy's concept at its last meeting in October. In April, the panel approved an ordinance that allows mini-satellite wagering.

In 2007, the California Legislature passed a law allowing mini-satellite wagering facilities at restaurants and bars. All wagering would be operated by Southern California Off Track Wagering Inc., an association of race track and race horse owners created to oversee and administer statewide satellite facilities. According to law, the facilities must be 20 miles from a horse track and 10 miles from another satellite wagering facility. The closest wagering spot is in San Clemente.

McKinzie, a Huntington Beach resident, said he and others in the industry were delighted when San Clemente's OC Tavern, already popular for sports-watching, decided to go for the mini-satellite horse racing.

Developers Bruce T. Lehman, left, and Brad McKinzie are two of six partners planning to transform the former Black Angus restaurant in Lake Forest into a high-end restaurant and sports bar with satellite horse race betting. The site is near the I-5 Freeway and Lake Forest Drive. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Developers Brad McKinzie , left, and Bruce T. Lehman plan to extensively remodel this former Black Angus restaurant in Lake Forest into a high-end restaurant and sports bar. All of the analog televisions sets will be replaced with over 50 flat panel TVs. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The dark maze of pathways in this former Black Angus restaurant in Lake Forest will soon be gutted to make way for a high-end sports bar and restaurant called Sammy's Restaurant and Bar. The partners in the project also plan to offer satellite horse race betting. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The former Black Angus restaurant in Lake Forest has designs to be replaced by this high-end establishment called Sammy's Restaurant and Bar. The location sits off the 5 Freeway near Lake Forest Drive. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The beer taps in this former Black Angus restaurant in Lake Forest may soon offer a variety of craft and traditional beers according to developers. They plan to extensively renovate the site into a high-end sports bar and restaurant. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The interior of this former Black Angus restaurant in Lake Forest is planned to be extensively renovated according to developers. They aim to transform the dated decor into a high-end sports bar and restaurant. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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